The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for processing sheared trees. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for processing trees which has means to eject unwanted portions of the tree from the harvester.
A typical tree harvester and processor includes a carriage having a delimber head, the carriage being movable outwardly along a boom to delimb the trunk of the sheared tree. When the carriage and delimber head reaches an outermost position, a pair of topping blades are actuated to cut off or top the outer end portion of the tree trunk. The delimbed and topped tree trunk is then deposited in a bunk.
Examples of prior art methods and apparatus for delimbing and topping trees include those illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,679 and Canadian Pat. No. 927,718. Typically, prior art harvesters have a limitation on the height of the trees which can be processed because of the limited delimbing stroke of the harvester imposed by the overall length of the harvester. For example, one known prior art tree harvester has a 32 ft. delimbing stroke.
A tree harvester and method of processing which discloses an apparatus suitable for processing portions of a tree trunk in a sequential fashion is disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 583,734 filed on June 4, 1975 in the name of J. Gerald Smith, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,190.
The prior devices used to process the tree trunk sequentially provided an advance in the art and allowed the processing of various sized trees into log-length bolts. However, the present devices allow the tree limbs to fall on the harvester and pile up. Also, there is no means for removing an unused portion of the tree from the harvester.
A further problem has been a lack of support for the top portion of the tree being processed during the processing strokes.